Product Information

Publisher's Description

The New Addiction

What you start out controlling can end up controlling you.

From Twitter to iPhones, from Facebook to tablets, we have an endless supply of media and gadgets to hook our interest, snag our wallets, and occupy our time. Think back over the last five years. How much of your time was devoted to online activities? How much of your real life has been gobbled up or googled up in your net life?

In Hooked, counselor and addiction specialist Dr. Gregory Jantz speaks enthusiastically and frankly about the gizmos and gadgets, social media magnets, and Internet sidetracks we have at our fingertips. With real-life examples and biblical applications, he presents a celebration of the positives technology offers and a cautionary tale about the negatives it unleashes, including:

· The power and dangers of the web

· The myth of multitasking

· Overcoming disconnection anxiety

· The psychology behind Internet addiction

· Employing the ultimate filter and taking back control of your life

Author Bio

Gregory L. Jantz, PhD, is the best-selling author of numerous books, including Hope, Help, and Healing for Eating Disorders. He is the founder of The Center for Counseling and Health Resources, Inc., a leading health care facility in the Seattle, Washington, area specializing in whole-person care with mental health, chemical dependency, nutrition, and medical services. Visit his website at www.aplaceofhope.com, and yes, you can follow him on Twitter @GregoryJantzPhD.

Imagine waking up in a world without any media. No internet. No texting. No iPods, iPads, or iPhones. Not one television show. No media whatsoever. Although a world where we had no media could possibly be a more peaceable and beneficial world, most of us would start freaking out if we couldn't check our Facebook. I know I would. In this alternately angled book, Gregory shows the pitfalls of media today, and how we as a culture are more reliant on faux communication than real, live, face to face conversation. He show how we can use media to our advantage, while simultaneously living in a real reality, not a virtual one.

I liked:

The mind blowing facts. Did you know that a drunk driver is actually safer than a texting driver? I sure didn't.

The non-judgmental outlook. I loved that he understood how addicting technology is, and he wasn't condemning about it. He simply showed how much better it could be used.

The hope. He made it seem semi-doable to do a media fast. It was awesome.

I didn't love:

The lack of Christianity in it. Not that it was bad, but I usually expect Christian books to mention God in more than one chapter.

Overall:

I enjoyed this book, and although I was slightly afraid it could be boring, it was not. It was a great book, and I would definitely recommend it to you!

Libbi H.

Thanks to Charisma House publishers for giving me this book in exchange for this honest review.